Description

This book marks a new authority on herbal medicine. Following the
indispensable pioneering work of the Commission E in Germany, ESCOP has taken
the lead role across Europe over the past decade in reviewing the therapeutic
uses of herbal medicinal products. This is now recognized by the European
Medicines Evaluation Agency, which formally receives ESCOP monographs as a basis
for core dossiers on herbal medicines. Initial funding for the enterprise was
provided by the European Commission.
ESCOP, representing national phytotherapy
associations across Europe, is uniquely placed to provide an international
consensus. Preparation of the monographs by the ESCOP Scientific Committee has
involved delegates from 15 countries with the assistance of numerous external
experts on herbal medicine and an eminent Board of Supervising Editors.
Sixty ESCOP
monographs were published during the late 1990s. All have been updated and
expanded, and this second edition includes a further twenty monographs. The text
constitutes an up-to-date review of scientific information on the therapeutic
uses of herbal medicines, including indications, dosage, contra-indications,
interactions and undesirable effects, together with summaries of
pharmacological, clinical and toxicological data. It is extensively referenced
to scientific literature - almost 5,000 full citations appear in the book.
The
ESCOP monographs are an invaluable resource for health professionals,
regulators, manufacturers and many others. They provide the evidence base for
clinical use of herbal medicinal products.